Running rail



Nov. 27, 1928. 1,692,905

NNNNNNNNNNN AN NNNNNN O R Patented Nov. 27, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NORMAN C. RENDLEMAN, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO JONES &

LAUGI-ILIN STEEL CORPORATION, 01 TION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORA- BUNNING RAIL.

Application filed January 17 1928.. Serial No 247,347.

This invention relates to running rails, and particularly rails for railway or street car service.

The standard rails in use a head, a Web and a base, the rail being symmetrical about a vertical center line. Nith the increase in wheel loads demanded by modern railway traffic conditions, rail failures have become increasingly common despite the fact that increasingly heavier rails have been used.

One of the mostcommon causes for rail failure is the development of lateral fissures. Such fissures start inside the head of the rail and are in the form of small circular or oval areas over which there is a definite separation of the metal. The size of the fissure increases and finally makes its presence known when it extends to the surface of the rail. Such fissures may be present for a long time and still be undetectable by the usual methods of inspection, and are therefore extremely hazardous.

The development of lateral fissures has been attributed to various causes, such as the character of the steel employed, or ingotism, but I believe them to be principally due to the manner in which the rails are loaded during service.

The working surface of a car wheel is not .truly cylindrical, but is in the shape of a frustum of a cone, the inclination of the surface being generally one in forty. As a result. the point of application of the wheel load to the rail is adjacent the inner side face of the head. The wheel load is Vertical, or nearly so, and therefore the force is not transmitted in a straight line through the web to the rail base. I believe that this fact accounts for the presence of lateral fissures in rails, as they are generally initiated at a pointinside the head, in the general line of the force applied by the car wheels and out of line with the web.

I provide a rail in which the web is disposed relatively nearer the inner face than the outer face, thus insuring more nearly direct transmission of the wheel force to the base of the rail. I further provide a head which is heavier on one side than the other. A certain width for the head is desirable, but it is not essential that the full depth of today comprise the head be maintained adjacent the outer face. I therefore make the head heavier adjacent the inner face, and lighter adjacent the outer face. The provision of a deeper head section adjacent the inner face assists in the proper transmission of the wheel load to the rail base.

The web is preferably so positioned that its median plane includes the center of gravity of the head section. This is desirable because it insures that the rail will lie substantially straight on the cooling bed. If the web were otherwise positioned relative to the head, there would be danger of the rail twisting upon cooling after it is rolled.

The base is preferably made symmetrical with respect to the web. This is also of value in insuring that the rail will lie straight in cooling and in addition gives a rail base which is more properly located with respect to the line of application of the load.

In the accompanying drawings, illustrating the present preferred embodiment of the invention, and one modification thereof,

Figure 1 is a transverse section through a rail,

Figure 2 is a similar view showing spliceplates therefor, and

Figure 3 is a View similar to Figure 1 but showing a modified rail.

The rail shown in Figures 1 and 2 comprises a head 2 having an inner face 3 and an outer face 4, the inner face 3 being adjacent the wheel flanges when the rail is installed. The bearing face 5 of the rail is struck on a long radius, as is customary in running rails. The head 2 is materially deeper adjacent the side face 3 than adjacent the side face 4:. In use the wheel load is concentrated on the rail adjacent the side face 3, as indicated diagrammatically by the arrow F in Figure 1.

The head 2 of the rail surmounts a web 6 which is located closer to the side face 3 than to the side face 4. This insures that the wheel load will be transmitted in a more nearly straight line to the base 7 of the rail. This location, of the web 6, particularly when it is employed in connection with a head which is relatively deep adjacent the inner face, eliminates the eccentric loading condition which obtains in ordinary rails, and is therefore of value in ing cooling.

minimizing the initiation or growth of lateral fissures.

The base 7 is symmetrical about the median plane of the web 6, and is of the usual character.

When a rail is rolled, the cooling action is progressive from the surface toward the center, and in a non-symmetrical section there is danger of the rail twisting or warping dur- Since the base and the web are both symmetrical about the median plane of the web, the principal danger of warping in the rail shown in the drawings arises from the fact that the head is thicker at one side than at the other. In order to, eliminate or minimize *arping during cooling, I so locate the head 2 with respect to the web 6 that the center of gravity CG of the head lies substantially in, the median plane MP of the Web.

With a rail of the type shown in the drawings, it is desirable to use. special splice plates. These, are shown in- Figure. 2. he inner splice plate 8 and the outer splice plate 9 are of difierent height so that each of them extends from the upper face of the base to the lower face of the head.

Figure 3 shows a modified railin which the upper bea ing face 5., instead of being on the arc of a circle, is inclined to the horizonas indicated at 10, so asto make-line contact with the conical wheel surfaces, This construction insures proper distribution of the load over the railhead, thus minimizing high local stresses.-

While I have illustrated and described the preferred embodiment of the invention, it is not limited to this form. alone asit maybe otherwise embodied within the scope of. the following claims I claim 1- 1. A running rail comprising a head having an inner face and an outer face, and a web disposed relatively nearer the inner face than the outer face.

2. A running rail comprising a head having an inner face and an outer face, and a web disposed relatively nearer the inner face than the outer face, the head being thickened adjacent the inner face.

3. A running rail comprising a head having an inner face and an outer face, and a web disposed relatively nearer the inner face than the outer face, the head being thickened adjacent the inner face, the thickened portion extending to the web.

4. A running rail comprising a headhaving an inner face and an outer face, a web disposed relatively nearer the inner face than the outer face, and a base symmetrically disposed'relative to the web.

5. A runningrail comprising a head, a web and a base, the base being substantially symmetrically disposed relative to the web, and the head being non-synnnetrically disposed relative to the web but having its center of gravitysubstantially in the median plane of the web. 7

6. A running rail comprising a web. surmounted by a head, the head being non-symmetrical about a vertical axis, the center of gravity of the head lying substantially in the median plane of the web.

7. A running-rail comprising a web surmounted by a head, the head being relatively deep atone side and; rela i velyshallow at the otherbut having its center of gravity substantially in the median plane of the web.

8. A running rail comprising a. web surmounted by a head, the head being relatively deepat one side and: relatively shallow at the ,other, the center of gravity of the head lying substantially in the median plane of the web. 7

9,; A runnijngrail comprising-a base, a web, and a head, the web being substantially symmetrically disposedto the base, the head being relatively deep at; one side and relatively shallow at the other, the center of gravity. of the head lying substantially in the median plane of the web.

111 testimonywhereofl have hereunto set my hand.

NORMAN C. RENDLEMAN. 

